Let me start by saying that the Indiana Fever are a damn good team. Their meeting with the Minnesota Lynx in front of a sold-out Target Center crowd showed just how far they’ve come after a rocky start to the season. The Lynx are also a damn good team, much to the surprise of many pundits and fans alike.
The Lynx were beaten by the Fever just before the Olympic break. How much that was on their minds, coupled with it being the night of Maya Moore‘s jersey retirement ceremony, is unknown. Regardless, the Lynx came out firing on all cylinders. Outscoring the Fever by 13 points looked like the beginning of a rout. The Fever had other ideas.
Indiana Hung Around Versus Minnesota
They answered the Lynx almost point for point, erasing the 13-point lead down to one point at halftime. But the second half belonged to Minnesota, even at moments when it appeared as though the Fever was roaring back. The Fever got as close as three points just over midway through the fourth quarter but would get no closer, and the Lynx won 90-80.
SIX IN A ROWWWWWWW. pic.twitter.com/TCYL4cvqRv
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) August 25, 2024
The Fever had an overwhelming start to the season, playing so many games close together. Were they entitled to use the fatigue factor? Yes, I think so. The Lynx were playing their third game in four days, so maybe that second quarter was a reflection of being out of breath. But halftime is a curious thing; you either find the grit or sink lower. The Lynx found the grit to stay in front of a constantly charging Indiana team and bring it home.
Indiana Players Besides Caitlin Clark
The Indiana Fever is far more than Caitlin Clark. I’ve always wondered why Kelsey Mitchell has chosen to stay in Indiana. She could easily be a part of a championship team. Her talent deserves that. It will be interesting to see if Aliyah Boston makes the same commitment or will test free agency when her time comes. But it is Victaria Saxton, Kristy Wallace, and Grace Berger, the Indiana bench, who are the most curious.
They rarely play, which leads me to wonder why. None are rookies, and they are all reasonably decent players. But it also took Lexi Hull a couple of seasons to start getting more minutes. She made a decent contribution against the Lynx, scoring 10 points in 26 minutes. Former Lynx forward Damiris Dantas scored 8, and former Lynx center Temi Fagbenle scored 4. Erica Wheeler, who only tallied eight minutes added 2. Not the strongest bench showing, but it certainly helped.
The Lynx bench had a pretty quiet night, with only Natisha Hiedeman making an impact with 10 points. So this game was a battle of the starters, and except for Katie Lou Samuelson for the Fever and Alanna Smith for the Lynx, the scoring belonged to everyone else. Napheesa Collier scored a game-high 31 points for the Lynx, and Clark scored 23 for Indiana.
Thoughts on Maya Moore
With an enormous number of Fever/Iowa/Clark fans in attendance, it was one of the livelier games of the season. The roar every time Clark scored was palpable, and in general, Indiana got a huge reception from their fans, or Clark’s fans I suppose. Of course, Minnesota very likely wanted this win not only to secure a playoff berth but also as a gift for Maya Moore.
No. 23 is now in the Target Center rafters. pic.twitter.com/v5c0xgueDD
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) August 25, 2024
I think Maya Moore is the perfect example of someone who was tenacious, gifted, and dignified. When I watch the cockiness of some young players I think, maybe you might want to look back at Maya’s career and see if there is anything you can learn from that, not to erase your own identity, but to add to it—just a thought.
What is Next for Minnesota and Indiana?
The Lynx have ten games remaining, seven of which are on the road. They next meet the Phoenix Mercury in Phoenix on Wednesday, then Dallas on Friday in Texas. The Fever head to Atlanta to meet the Dream on Monday, and then go home for a matchup with Connecticut on Wednesday. With 11 games remaining, Indiana has little margin for error.
Unless something cataclysmic happens, I expect they will make the playoffs, in which case, they are going to find a way to give their starters some help from the bench. As for the Lynx, the offense still has a bit of a way to go so that production remains at a high level. Knowing that they’ve made the playoffs, it will be interesting to see who they will match up within the first round. We’ll know soon enough.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
Follow Beyond Women’s Sports for more from the world of sports.
